Black Partridge

(Francolinus francolinus), a bird of the family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes. The body reaches 37 cm in length and weighs 400–550 g. The male is brownish with mottling above and black with white spots below; the neck has a brown collar. The coloration of the female is duller than that of the male.

The black partridge is distributed from Cyprus and Asia Minor to northeastern Hindustan. In the USSR it occurs in eastern Transcaucasia and southwestern Turkmenia. A nonmigratory bird, it lives in river valleys having dense growths of shrubbery. The black partridge nests on the ground. A clutch usually contains as many as ten eggs, which are incubated by the female for 18 or 19 days. Both the male and the female care for the young. The diet consists of seeds, shoots, berries, and insects and other invertebrates.

The black partridge is a game bird. In the USSR, where its numbers are small, it is accorded protection.